Aesop Games I: Tortoise V Hare
by Ek01
Summary: (Based on the classic Fable) A sports epic in which an overtly-confident, athletic hare challenges a past-his-prime tortoise to a race.
1. The dispute

It all happened one afternoon, at a local gym. A strapping, young hare made a few derogatory comments to a considerably older tortoise athlete who had chosen to use one of the gym's treadmills.

"LISTEN HERE, OLD BASTARD!" The hare exclaimed. "I COULD RUN A RACE AND SMOKE YA! BESIDES, you're already close to the grave as it is, ya inbred hillbilly..."

"Now, hold on a darn second, young man—" the tortoise started.

But the hare began to violently beat the elderly turtle, until the police arrived later on.

The dispute was bought to national court, and it was ultimately decided that there would be a race between the tortoise and the hare, over who was faster. In three weeks' time, the world would be tuning in to watch this momentous occasion.


	2. Interviews

The interviewer's first session was in the evening on Monday with Thomas Barnaby Harrington. Thomas was running multiple laps around his own track that he'd personally constructed nearest his hole, so the interviewer had to wait a very long while before the hare was finished.

"Mister Harrington..." the interviewer said. "What are your thoughts on, say, your opponent possibly having a chance at beating you during this race?"

"Oh yeah," the hare said. "I could totally smoke that old timer—possibly bring him closer to death. He's so close anyway!"

"Yes, anyway, are there any other thoughts on the upcoming race?" The interviewer asked a second question.

"Yeah, when are people ever gonna learn that the tortoise is the slowest animal on the PLANET?!" The hare exclaimed.

"Well that's a negative stereot—"

"ILL' SAY WHAT I WANNA, ALRIGHT?!" The hare boomed.

The interviewer had to quickly end the session. He later met with Johnathan J. Tortoise on a Tuesday afternoon, on Bingo Nite at the local senior center.

"...Sooo, you think you can beat him?" One of the interviewers asked.

"Well, I don't know..." replied Johnathan. "I am older than he is, and he does seem like a sprightly young man...but I do know this..."

"What's that?" The interviewer asked.

The older turtle looked around. He then leaned closer until he was at the interviewer's ear.

"..With all my old age, comes a lot of wisdom..." Johnathan said. "He is a young man indeed, but he's dumb. If I can somehow outsmart this boy, I'll surely win."

The old turtle cracked a smile and started to laugh a little.

"After all, I do tell my grandsons, it's slow and steady that wins the race..." he patted the interviewer's shoulder.

Ch. II: Training

For the next week or so, Tom Harrington trained as hard as possible. Because he trained so excessively, his sleep time was limited to two hours a day, instead of his usual ten. He ran and ran around his homemade track endlessly, often times without stopping to eat or use the bathroom.

When Thomas did have time to do those, it would only be for twenty minutes, and then he would resume running all over again. His family looked at these training requirements with disdain and told him that perhaps he should just call the whole thing off.

"NO WAY, MOM!" Thomas exclaimed. "I'll show that old man! I'll show them ALL that I can beat him! Just keep waitin'—you'll see. You'll ALLL SEEE!!!"

The rabbit immediately got back on his treadmill and started to chug water from a water bottle like there was no tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Johnathan the tortoise trained only every other day, instead of every day like Johnathan.

He was a vegitarian, so he had no problem eating healthy and with nutrition. However, though the turtle did run somewhat slow, his running was entirely endurance-based, and while he ran, he would occasionally stop and walk, in order to catch his breath and keep it up for longer periods of time.

"Slow and steady..." he said. "That's how to do it."


	3. The RACE!

The race occurred on a Friday. Animals from all around the globe made up the audience who had arrived to see the record-breaking race take place. Thomas was the first to arrive, stretching and placing himself in a perfect running position.

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee..." he told himself.

Then, Johnathan finally arrived, and got himself into the running position next to Thomas. He looked at the confident hare and told him;

"May the best man win..."

But Thomas did not even respond.

"Revvin' up your engine

Listen to her howlin' roar

Metal under tension

Beggin' you to touch and go"

As soon as the gunshot fired, Thomas immediately went into action. He sprinted across at a great speed, but Johnathan, however, failed to keep up with him.

"...slow and steady..." Johnathan said.

"Highway to the danger zone

Ride into the danger zone"

Thomas dashed over mountains, across bridges over vast rivers, even through tunnels. He barely even broke a sweat at running through all this, while Johnathan was still very much behind him.

"Headin' into twilight

Spreadin' out her wings tonight

She got you jumpin' off the track

And shovin' into overdrive"

After a little while, Thomas started to feel very tired. Perhaps it was all that training he previously did.

"I bet I could take a nap and still beat this guy.." he said.

"Highway to the danger zone

I'll take you

Ridin' into the danger zone"

As soon as Thomas got to a place that was far from any prying eyes or cameras, he laid down and took a nap.

"I got this race in the bag..." he said, before instantly knocking out.

"You'll never say hello to you

Until you get it on the red line overload

You'll never know what you can do

Until you get it up as high as you can go"

Meanwhile, Johnathan approached where the sleeping hare decided to rest. After a little while, he immediately went past him.

"Slow and steady..." Johnathan said once again.

"Out along the edges

Always where I burn to be

The further on the edge

The hotter the intensity"

The animals in the audience watched with anticipation as they noticed someone was approaching the finish line. They all gave loud, audible gasps when they discovered that it was not the hare that was the closest, rather it was the TORTOISE!!

"Highway to the danger zone

Right into the danger zone

Highway to the danger zone

Gonna take you right into the danger zone

Highway to the danger zone

Right into the danger zone

Highway to the danger zone

Gonna take you right into the danger zone

Highway to the danger zone

Right into the danger zone"

Johnathan crossed the finish line with thunderous applause from the audience. Some animals lifted him up, and gave him a gold medal for winning.

Meanwhile, Thomas the hare still napped in front of a tree. He napped and napped, until he could hear the cheers of the audience and instantly woke up.

"WHAT TH—" Thomas said as he awoke.

The hare ran at the highest speed that he could go to reach the finish line, and saw that the TORTOISE of all people had beaten him!

Before the hare could say anything, the tortoise came over and placed the silver medal on his neck.

"I told you, son!" The tortoise said. "Slow and steady wins the race!"


	4. Epilogue

"And that, my boys, is how your godfather vested me in the greatest race known to anyone in history..." Tom said to his millions and millions of children. "Quite possibly the greatest man that ever lived."

"But that's IMPOSSIBLE!" One of the boys exclaimed. "No way a turtle like him can beat a hare!"

"Well, son..." Tom said. "Back then I was young and dumb. I know better than to assume an old man still can't learn a new trick!"

"So, where's Mister Johnathan, now?" Another one of Tom's sons asked.

"Why, my boy, he's up there in heaven...he's had multiple children, and his children have had children, and so on...so his brilliance will continue to live throughout the ages..." Tom said, looking outside to the grave where the elderly turtle was buried a long time ago. "He's up there, looking at us all with an open heart..."

End.


End file.
